


A Belated Reunion

by elliseleven



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: M/M, Miracle Mask Spoilers, Post-Miracle Mask, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 15:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18577273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliseleven/pseuds/elliseleven
Summary: After the events of Miracle Mask, Hershel and Randall never got the reunion they deserved. After a year of Hershel trying to move on from Randall, he turns up at his doorstep on a sunny Saturday afternoon.





	A Belated Reunion

Hershel woke up with a start. He had a late night once again working on his archaeological projects and marking essays for his teaching duties. He knew that this was wearing on his health - both physically and mentally - but his passion kept him awake way past sunset.

He had woken once before once the sun had risen. In his exhaustion, Hershel had forgotten to close the curtains before he went to sleep. He sat up, bleary-eyed, on the sofa and staggered over to the curtains to draw them. Of course, he admired the yellows and oranges that painted the sky first. He always had a soft spot for sunrises and sunsets. He immediately fell back to sleep after he lay back down but was woken once again a few hours later.

At first, he didn’t know what had woken him and he sat up again, feeling slightly more refreshed than before. Sleeping on the sofa all the time, however, can’t be good for him.

He looked around, puzzled, until he heard a knock (he presumed the previous knock had woken him from his slumber) and a very familiar voice.

“Hersh! It’s me. Please let me in.”

Layton’s eyes widened. _It couldn’t be…_ He made his way to his office door cautiously. Was it really him? And how did he get here? How did he know where to find him?

“Randall?” It really was his old childhood friend standing in front of him.

“Hersh. I’m so sorry. I-”

“Please. We can save that for later,” Hershel smirked. He remembered Randall being a confident lad in their teenage years and it was strange to see how age had changed him. Changed both of them, in fact. “Come, we can have tea while we discuss whatever you have come here to tell me.”

“My, how _gentlemanly_ of you, Hersh,” Randall smirked, seeming to be his old sarcastic self. “And tea? Wow, how much you have changed, old friend.”

Hershel laughed. Randall always knew what to say to cheer him up. That hadn’t changed. “Yes, I have changed a lot. And so have you. But we can catch up on that over tea. Unless you would prefer something else?”

“I assume you don’t have beer?” Randall was joking but, thinking about it, a cold beer would go down smooth after all the driving he had done that morning.

Hershel shot Randall a look. It was in jest, however. He could never really be angry with Randall. “I don’t drink, Randall.”

“Oh, right _._ I assume you’ve forgotten when you got utterly _wasted_ on your nineteenth birthday?” Randall grinned mischievously. Despite having amnesia for a large chunk of his life, he had recovered a lot, if not all, of his memories as a teen from photos and stories Angela and Henry had shown and told him since he had arrived back.

Layton bit his lip. He, of course, didn’t remember the details of that night. But he remembered waking up in his bedroom and walking downstairs to a scolding from his parents and Randall telling him all that he had gotten up to that night in between fits of laughter. “I am going to pretend I didn’t hear anything.” He didn’t want to relive his memories as a foolish teenager. “I’ll make you some tea, seeing that you didn’t say no.”

Randall actually wasn’t much of a tea drinker but he enjoyed the cup that Hershel had made for him. Maybe it was because it was from him specifically.

“So,” Hershel started. “Why did you come all the way out here just to see me?”

Randall blushed but he hoped Hershel would associate it with the hot tea that he was sipping. There was a short answer to this but he decided to go the long way around. “Well, I’ve been living with Angela and Henry as you know. They- uh…” _How to put this?_ “They didn’t divorce as they had originally planned.”

Layton raised an eyebrow at this. “Why might that be?”

“They love each other,” Randall said simply. He had been upset before, having loved Angela for many years but he was finally coming to terms with it. “They fell in love, Hershel. So they’re married for real now and I kinda wanted to get away from it. I didn't want to be a third wheel.”

“Surely, there are places closer to Monte D’or to which you could have traveled?”

Randall inwardly cursed. There was no getting past him. Despite this, he continued to procrastinate giving the true answer of his arrival. “Yes, but after being gone for so long… I’ve lost touch with people. The only person I thought to talk to was you. We didn’t really get to say farewell after the Masked Gentleman incident, did we?”

Hershel bowed his head in shame. He drained the last of his tea and put down his cup. He cleared his throat, not wanting to answer that question. However, he must. “We didn’t. You seemed happy enough, reunited with Angela and Henry and you didn’t seem to want to talk to me so I left with Emmy and Luke. I thought… I thought you despised me.”

Randall’s mouth fell open. “Hersh! I could never! How could you think that?”

Layton covered his eyes with his hat, wishing Randall wouldn’t shout like that. “It’s irrational of me and I apologise for that. But, as it was my fault that all this happened to you-”

Randall quickly was out of his seat and by Hershel’s side. He crouched down in front of him and looked up at his friend’s face that was still covered by his top hat. “It was not your fault.” He made sure not to raise his voice this time. “It was my idea to go to the Akbadain ruins all those years ago. It was my fault, alright? Is that what you’ve been thinking all these years?”

Layton couldn’t stop himself. He knew he shouldn’t make a scene when it was really Randall that needed his assistance but the pressure of years of grief was suddenly too much for him. He began to shake and tears fell rapidly. Randall panicked, not sure what to do. Hershel was more in touch with his emotions as a teenager than Randall was but he would rarely cry in front of Randall.

“Hersh? Come on, don’t cry like that,” he laughed nervously and then, despite his brain telling him not to, he took hold of one of his hands. The other one was still gripping his hat.

This helped Hershel stop shaking and let his hand fall to his lap. He saw Randall staring up at him with such caring eyes and he smiled despite how sad he had felt just moments before. No matter what, Randall found a way to make his day a little brighter.

“I’m sorry, Randall. This day is about you and I shouldn’t have-”

“Hey, don’t be like that, Hersh. We all have our moments.” He took Hershel’s other hand and Hershel blushed, despite himself. What was happening to him?

Layton nodded. “Thank you, Randall. I’m glad you understand. I’m fine now, I promise. Shall we talk about you a little more?”

“Okay, Hershel. Just promise to not burst into tears again, alright?”

Hershel chuckled, squeezing Randall’s hands. “Alright.”

Randall slowly let go of Hershel’s hands, to the disappointment of both of them, to sit on the sofa again. His legs were hurting him. He sometimes forgot that he was older now.

“So, just to clarify, I didn’t hate you.” Hershel and Randall both chuckled at that. How ridiculous that sounded. “To be honest, Angela and Henry got to me first and I was so overwhelmed at seeing them again that by the time I remembered I hadn’t spoken to you, you had gone. I tried to move on, Hersh. I really did, but I couldn’t…” This would be the part where he said something like “because I love you” but he couldn’t do it. He was too scared.

“I understand, Randall. I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.” Layton surprised even himself. He had blurted it out before he had even thought about it. This wasn’t like him at all. He always thought before he spoke.

“Oh, really?” Randall smirked, despite his heart hammering against his chest.

He couldn’t hide it now. Layton nodded. “Yes. I couldn’t. Even as a teenager, when I thought you had died, it was so hard for me.”

There was a solemn silence where neither of them knew what to say. This was all so complicated. Randall wished it had never happened like this but there was no changing the past.

“I’m sorry, Hersh.”

Hershel waved away his apology. “Don’t mention it, Randall. I’m just glad you are here now.”

Randall smiled, getting emotional himself. He was so happy to see Hershel again. “Hey, how about a hug? You never got one at Monte D’or. I bet you’re dying to hug me again.”

Despite him knowing it was a joke, Layton couldn’t agree more. He loved Randall’s hugs. “That would be wonderful.”

Both men stood up and walked around the coffee table. They embraced each other without any hesitation. Back when they were younger, their hugs would only be short as they would be wary of people getting the wrong idea about them. Now that they were alone and older, neither of them pulled away.

Randall steeled himself suddenly. This was the perfect time to tell him why he had come all this way. “Uh, Hersh?”

Hershel grinned. He never tired of Randall’s nickname for him. He pulled away, keeping his arms around him, so he could look the man in the eye. “Yes, Randall?”

“I… have something to tell you.” He couldn’t believe he was saying this. He had kept this a secret for well over two decades, save the time when he had amnesia from the fall.

“What is it?”

“I…”

Hershel waited patiently for Randall to speak, but he couldn’t.

“Can I just show you instead?”

Hershel hesitated, unsure of what Randall was asking. “By all means.”

Randall gave a small smile and slowly reached to cup Hershel’s face with his hand. He felt his cheek grow hot and he chuckled. “Am I embarrassing you, Hersh?” He clearly felt more comfortable making quips like this than being vulnerable.

Hershel stuttered, starting to piece the puzzle together. “N-no. Of course not.”

Randall shuffled closer to Hershel so their noses were touching. He was aware that he could possibly knock off Hershel’s hat. He hoped he didn’t mind if he did.

Hershel was shocked at Randall’s behaviour. He didn’t realise that this was how he felt about him. How long had this been a secret? “Randall…” he breathed, utterly speechless.

“Yeah?” Randall’s voice shook slightly. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” He said this possibly too sharply but that didn’t matter as of now. “I’m growing impatient, that’s all.”

Randall smirked and Hershel smiled too. They began to giggle like the school children they once were.

“I didn’t realise you were that into me.”

“Well, you clearly aren’t as observant as you used to claim to be.” Somehow, being with Randall brought out Layton’s lewd side. He was surprised he was still capable of such things.

“Maybe not. Now, if you can just shut up and let me kiss you.”

Hershel chuckled but kept his mouth shut. He closed his eyes and Randall copied. Their lips met and it felt as if they were back in Stansbury again. They had never kissed at that time but, thinking back, Hershel could remember some clues as to how Randall felt about him. They were always teasing and being playful with each other but Hershel just assumed that’s how boys were. They were always very close and they had a few vulnerable moments, telling secrets and such but nothing massive. Hershel was so oblivious back then. He supposed he was as an adult too. He could have never seen this coming.

Hershel was the first to stop the kiss. He loosened his grip on Randall’s shirt and a smile started to spread on his face. “I assume you were planning on confessing your undying love to me earlier.”

“Nothing gets past you, does it, Hersh?”

“I’m afraid not, Randall.”

Layton held Randall’s chin gently and pulled him in for another kiss. He couldn’t help himself. He had suddenly felt a warmth in his chest, knowing that his friend loved him the same way he had done, that he hadn’t felt since Claire passed.

Randall was taken aback by Hershel’s forwardness and had to catch his breath afterward. “So, I take that as you love me too?”

“Yes, I do.”

Randall grinned, ecstatic. “I was so sure you were gonna reject me!”

“What gave you that idea?” He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Well, you’re so famous and dashing with that top hat of yours. I thought you would at least tell me you had a girlfriend.”

Sudden memories filled his head of Claire and Hershel winced. He bowed his head again. “I did but that was a long time ago now. She is no longer with us.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.” Randall looked to the floor.

“It’s alright.” Hershel managed a smile. “It's still hard for me to process, that's all.”

Randall nodded. There was a pause. “Do you still love her?”

“Yes. But when I lost her, I was grieving. And I kept wishing you were there to help me. I didn’t know back then that you were still alive so that hurt me more.”

Hershel stopped. It was too much for him to relive all these painful memories. Randall didn’t say anything. He stroked Hershel’s cheek lightly with his thumb and Layton found the strength to carry on talking.

“I realised later that my feelings for you were changing. It was very complicated and I took a long time to figure things out. But enough time has passed now that I can truly accept my feelings. I am in love with you, Randall.”

Randall grinned. “That’s fantastic, Hershel!”

He chuckled. “I suppose it is. Tell me, how did you travel here?”

“I drove in Henry’s car from Monte D’or. It took four hours, I’d reckon. I had seen in the papers that you worked at the university here so it took me a while but I finally found your office. I was worried you wouldn’t be here since it was a weekend.”

“That was a very long time to travel just to see me.” Hershel was mildly surprised, less so now that he knew Randall’s feelings for him. “Do you want to stay here until tomorrow? Driving for that long must tire you out.”

Randall, admittedly, didn’t feel very tired but he didn’t want to leave Hershel just yet so he played along. “Yeah, I am a bit tired.”

“I can take you back to my apartment. I stayed here last night to work on a project but I would prefer if I slept in a proper bed tonight. Besides, I wouldn’t have you sleeping on the sofa here when I have a perfectly good bed at home.”

Randall nodded. “Sounds good to me. Maybe we’ll put that bed to good use, eh?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Hershel scoffed. He pushed Randall away lightly. Again, he was surprised at his indecent behaviour but Randall seemed to bring that out in him.

“Randall! I will do no such thing!” Layton was as red as a tomato but he was laughing all the same.

“Sorry, I didn’t think you were such a prude,” Randall huffed, making to gather the cups that had been abandoned on the coffee table.

Hershel shook his head, smiling still. “I apologise but I am just not comfortable with that sort of talk.”

“Whatever, Layton.” He winked and walked away to the kitchen. “My stuff is in the boot of Henry’s car, by the way. I did, uh, hope you would let me stay the night with you.”

“As if I would say no to you, Randall.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.”

Once Randall had washed up the cups - which Hershel thanked him for possibly more than was necessary - the two of them made their way to the Laytonmobile.

“Is that really your car?”

“It is,” Hershel said proudly. “I had it modified so I never have to remove my hat. A true gentleman never bares his head in public.”

“A true gentleman, eh?” Randall raised his eyebrow. “I would never had guessed that the Hershel I once knew would grow up to be such a gentleman.”

Hershel rolled his eyes and grinned. “Neither would I. It's all thanks to Claire.”

“Claire sounded like a great person for you.”

Hershel nodded solemnly. “She was.”

Not wanting to leave Henry's car unattended, Randall drove it the short distance to Hershel’s apartment while Hershel drove the Laytonmobile. They finally pulled up to his apartment and Randall carried in his trunk. Hershel had a double bed - originally bought for when Claire would have moved in with him - so Randall put his trunk in Layton's room. The two of them stood, drinking in the present moment. Randall was so glad he came as he had almost chickened out and gone back to Angela and Henry but he couldn't have asked for a better reunion.

**Author's Note:**

> I love RanLay sm. And I'm pretty sure Hershel reverts back to his teenage self when he is with Randall and his gentlemanly personality slips just slightly. But that's okay bc it's cute sooo


End file.
